Pilots at Qantas’ unit halt planned two-day strike

Qantas planes are seen at Kingsford Smith International Airport in Sydney, Australia, March 18, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Oct 31 (Reuters) – Pilots at Network Aviation, the charter subsidiary of Qantas Airways (QAN.AX), would not go ahead with a planned two-day strike this week, the Australian Federation of Pilots (AFAP) said on Tuesday.

AFAP had on Friday advised that pilots in Qantas’ Network Aviation will stop work on Wednesday and Thursday this week in a bid to negotiate wages.

Australia’s industrial relations tribunal, the Fair Works Commission (FWC), had precided over a series of talks between the respective parties on Monday, which in turn resulted in the planned action being called off.

FWC deputy president Melanie Binet and other stakeholders decided that further talks facilitation by the tribunal would likely help all the involved parties to resolve any outstanding bargaining issues.

“AFAP members – who make up 90% of the pilot group at Network Aviation – have given undertaking that they will not engage in any protected action until next week’s bargaining sessions are completed,” a statement from the union said.

The AFAP will attend in-person bargaining sessions facilitated by the FWC commencing on Nov. 7, the union said in a statement.

Qantas said in a statement that the airline had already put in place contingency measures to help replace services that would have been impacted by the planned action. FWC did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Rashmi Aich

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